In today's image, we see an example of red sprite lightning. This is a type of lightning that forms high in the atmosphere and is associated with thunderstorms like tradition lightning. However, it will occur 50-60 miles above Earth's surface and is a very fleeting phenomenon. The image shown is a single frame of video lasting 1/25 of a second.

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This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.

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